What must an athlete do at each hurdle, and what gets them disqualified?
B · Beginner · The event and the start · 4 of 7An athlete must go over every hurdle in their own lane. They are disqualified if a foot or leg passes beside a hurdle below the level of its top, or if they knock down or move a hurdle with a hand, the body or the front of the leading leg. Other knocked hurdles carry no penalty.
How it works
- Every hurdle, own lane: "each athlete shall go over each hurdle and keep to their own lane throughout. Failure to do so will result in a disqualification", unless one of the lane exceptions applies.
- The trailing leg: an athlete is disqualified if "their foot or leg is, at the instant of clearance, beside the hurdle (on either side) and below the horizontal plane of the top of any hurdle". The rule book's commentary says this applies to both legs.
- Hand, body, front of the leading leg: an athlete is disqualified if "they knock down or displace any hurdle by hand, body or the front side of the lead lower limb".
- What "front side" means: the commentary describes it as all the front-facing parts of the leg from the top of the thigh to the end of the foot.
- Affecting others: knocking down a hurdle, in any lane, so that another athlete is affected or obstructed also means disqualification.
- Otherwise free: as long as the hurdle is not moved or lowered, "an athlete may go over the hurdle in any manner".
- Everything else: apart from these cases, knocking down hurdles "shall not result in disqualification nor prevent a Record being made".
The wording changed in the 2026 edition. The commentary says the earlier reference to deliberately knocking down a hurdle "has been removed" and replaced by "more objective factors".
Tricky cases
An athlete clips eight of the ten hurdles with the trailing knee and they all fall. Are they disqualified?
No. Hurdles knocked down in the ordinary course of clearing them carry no penalty.
An athlete loses their stride and pushes the hurdle over with a hand. Is that allowed?
No. Knocking down or moving a hurdle by hand means disqualification.
An athlete falls and climbs over the next hurdle with their hands on it. Is that legal?
Yes, if the hurdle is not moved or lowered. The commentary gives this as an example of going over "in any manner".
An athlete's hurdle falls into the next lane after that lane's athlete has already passed. Is the first athlete disqualified?
No, not for that alone. The commentary says a hurdle displaced into the lane of an athlete who has already gone over it, with no real effect on them, should not bring disqualification.
Why the rule exists
The event is about going over the barrier. An athlete who swings a leg round the side at a lower height, or runs straight through the hurdle, has avoided that. The 2026 wording gives officials things they can see on video in place of a judgement about what the athlete intended.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 22.6; TR 22.7 |
| Arms | An athlete who hits or hampers a neighbour with their arms may be dealt with under the obstruction rule | TR 22.6 commentary; TR 17.1 |
| An athlete who stops | Usually shown as DNF, not DQ, even after a fault | CR 20 commentary |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 22.6 and 22.7 with the commentary printed under them. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).